What size fish?

[dammit__01]

Ok ive decided to get back into stand-up again and looking for a board that will help me progress but mainly i will have fun on. I have been told by a few people a Fish would be the go as i am 'past' the mal stage but not ready for a thruster. (which is fine by me, actually what i would prefer)

So i was wondering, since i dont know to much about fish's (or egg's ect) what sizes i should be looking at. Take into consideration i have not ridden stand up for some 6-8 months and will be sloppy.

Info i will assume you need is im 16 / 17 6'1" and 70-ish kg, and id like to think, im rather fit.

[dammit__01]

ok, thanks, ill keep looking around and see what pops up, pretty tight budget so just going for the 2nd hand boards. right now i really want around a 6'2" (give or take) pretty wide around 20ish' and abour 2 3/4 thick and for fins how much of a difference is it? because up until now i havent really considered them as much as sizes

[thermalben]

And dont just listen to people telling you fish are only for small slop, some maybe but others are not.

I was at the Rip Curl Pro at Bells a few years ago, and Jesse Faen (ex-ASP Media) was ripping on a retro fish in solid waves. IMO, Bells is not the kind of wave you'd ordinarily pull out a fish for, but Jesse made it look like the two were meant to be.

[Beerfan]

Im not a really experienced surfer, so my advice comes from my experience. My 6'2'' fish goes great in small good shaped waves ( knee to head high ). I used ti ride a minmal, now i ride my fish. It is 3'' thick, paddels great, catches waves great, but it has a decent amount of nose rocker, its not flat, like most fish ( its home made ). Im actually thinking of going down to 5'10'', but wider, and flatter rockered, purely for small full summer waves. I think you'd have fun on a fish, and i know mine goes fun in small steepish waves, the keels mean its loose, but not uncontrollable.

But, again, im a relatively inexperienced surfer, and after russian xmas today ( i've had a few vodka's ) i dont know if im the best to comment.

ANyway, i love my fish!!

[glider]

Fish aren't one design & one experience. I've got a 5'9 banks mk1, and I've recently got a 5'3 takayama - and the two surf completely different to each other.
the banksy has an almost continous rocker, full-template double-foiled 9"keel fins, is relatively thin - and it hold really well in fast waves. It is pretty stiff ride by all accounts, but it absolutely relishes waves like Lennox Head.
The takayama is ultra-bouyant, slightly toe'd & cant fins, with a 6" base and about 3" of overhang. Almost no rocker. The rails are full & high - and it is extremely slidey - it redefines loose. It's like surfing a bar of soap in a wet sink.
Both boards are fine with size - but its the power of that size in a wave that seperates them.
Fish aren't easy to ride, not to ride well anyway. They're no easier than a thruster. I guess thrusters are more visual, everyone can see explicitly the skills of the surfer. Fish riding is much more subtle, the skills are much more internally felt than externally seen, its about having seamless flow &speed. The whole approach to the wave is completely different. Thrusters are about mastery over the wave, fish are all about slipstreaming the wave.
Think about if this is what you're after as you change back into stand-up surfing. Don't worry about going to small to begin with. If you're getting loads of waves in various conditions on your minimal, I would suggest between 6-6'3, but best emailing & speaking to shapers direct....

Personally - I LOVE fish

[Shaunm]

Dripping Wet have a nice 6'10 one not one the racks outside but leaning on them. Wont last long, and sorry cant remember brand, but loved the rails on it.
(Arise and dub thee Sir Dammit)

[jfdi]

As Glider said, there are many varieties of fish that ride very differently.

The big twin keel, variety, as a rule, tend to go straighter, requiring long drivey turns - you see clearly how they ride if you watch Deryck Hind on video. The skill and style to ride is nothing like a thruster.

The 2/3-fin variety vary from being a flatter, fast, down the line ride, to being absolutely highly maneuverable, like Chris Ward when you see him on video ride one at Pipleline. Go the the 'Lost' website to see what this fish is.

You can also go to Hawain Island Creations website and Takayama has a great table, showing what type of surf each board suits. You will see several fish there that are designed for different types of waves.

Another alternative, is get a cheap (less than $100) 80's thruster or twinny. Great boards for slop at any size. Great in better quality surf too, just nowhere near as 'in the pocket' , 'vertical' or snappy as todays thrusters. Much easier to adapt to from riding a mal.

Its really all about the type/style of surfing you are aiming to do, what size/type of waves you want to surf the board on and where you want to take your surfing into the future.

[glider]

Its really all about the type/style of surfing you are aiming to do......

So true.
There are too many flippant reasons used as recommendations for fish. You really need to think about that qoute above first.

A lot of people get fish & think they're crappy, or for people to hide their lack of surf ability on - but I believe that's purely because their attitude towards them is as a P-plate thruster - not as a unique style & discipline.

[cambo]

... the Glide Fish is a supreme machine in miniscule surf and a heap of fun in waves up to shoulder high. They feel a lot like the best mini mal you ever rode but come around so much easier because of the length and the twin keel fins. You can still ride them in larger waves but you'd be better of with a MKII for that. Ride them 4 – 8“ taller than yourself and ¼” thicker than your high performance board to get the maximum effect.

That's Jim Banks' http://www.jimbanksurf.com/ sizing recommendation for his "glide fish" model

[ric_vidal]

A lot of people get fish & think they're crappy, or for people to hide their lack of surf ability on - but I believe that's purely because their attitude towards them is as a P-plate thruster - not as a unique style & discipline.

A heap of good definitions/info in ALL the above dammit.

I would say a true fish is probably HARDER to ride properly than a thruster and to that end jimjams (dammit) would be better off either with, as jfdi suggested, something with more volume from the past or some hybrid type board.

Watchyaneed jimjams is stability, not the mental kind as you’re beyond help there.

Width is good, but if you got too wide in the tail, like some fish, they become very loose/skitterish as Glider said, but that doesn’t help if you are starting out unless you are catching foamies at kiddies corner where you are not so much turning as steering. They have to be ridden quite flat and/or with a very low centre of gravity.

Additionally fish/disks can be a mongrel on the backhand, assuming you will go something other than straight.

These are generalisations and the boys may disagree to some extent, but that has been my observations and experience from my own rice bubble shaped quad and a ‘fish’ style quad, neither of which are true fish boards but share enough similarities.

A true fish ridden well will look sublime and a heap of fun. I suggest an easy path may be called for at this stage.

[bro]

I will sell you a twin fin retro fish, 5'10 x 20 x 2 3/4 or something like that in pretty good condition for $350

PM me if you are interested

[glider]

That whole rail/turning aspect is so true. I find myself actually rail-grabbing for all front-side roundhouses & cutties - as part of that whole low-drive approach..... crikey, I love 'em!

[ric_vidal]

That whole rail/turning aspect is so true. I find myself actually rail-grabbing for all front-side roundhouses & cutties - as part of that whole low-drive approach..... crikey, I love 'em!

Glider, don’t know if you have ever seen or heard of Gavin Dickenson, but he is a master on wide tailed, big crack, skegged fish and any other alternate board.

He was at Crescent Head at the same time we were some years ago and he just ripped the place apart - sans legrope, irrespective of size. Enormous rail grab cutbacks and anything else you could think of. All this and his knee was in a massive brace at the time.

Watching episodes like that and you almost feel like giving up. :?

[Longygrom]

That whole rail/turning aspect is so true. I find myself actually rail-grabbing for all front-side roundhouses & cutties - as part of that whole low-drive approach..... crikey, I love 'em!

Glider, don’t know if you have ever seen or heard of Gavin Dickenson, but he is a master on wide tailed, big crack, skegged fish and any other alternate board.

He was at Crescent Head at the same time we were some years ago and he just ripped the place apart - sans legrope, irrespective of size. Enormous rail grab cutbacks and anything else you could think of. All this and his knee was in a massive brace at the time.

Watching episodes like that and you almost feel like giving up. :?

That Guy is amazing at surfing full stop.

Every turn he has done ive frothed and never seen him have a bad surf or even fall off! Really in tune with the waves he surfs and his equipment.

[ric_vidal]

That Guy is amazing at surfing full stop.

Every turn he has done ive frothed and never seen him have a bad surf or even fall off! Really in tune with the waves he surfs and his equipment.

I have seen him fall off - twice :?

[Longygrom]

That Guy is amazing at surfing full stop.

Every turn he has done ive frothed and never seen him have a bad surf or even fall off! Really in tune with the waves he surfs and his equipment.

I have seen him fall off - twice :?

well the waves ive seen him surf...without a leggy...require him not to fall off period...dee why point and LA! on solid days also!

[glider]

[quote="ric_vidal"]Glider, don’t know if you have ever seen or heard of Gavin Dickenson.....quote]
No mate - I haven't heard of him [the shame, the shame..]
I certainly like the sound of him tho'... has he made it on to any videos?

I'll do some googling on him - loving the sound of him that you guys are painting! "Good" fish riding is so under-appreciated & lacking in the surf conciousness. I'm sure you'll all agree that its only ever seen as a novelty: Novelty in longboard mags, novelty in shortboard mags, novelty sections in surf vids....
Guys like Jim Banks are helping, by standing up & showcasing indo-capable designs... Derek Hynd is the spokesman for tradition.. and that's about it really, as for pushing the full respect of the designs. Of course, you got guys like Rasta, Van Straalen, and the backyard loonies on Swaylocks (etc) - but the WHOLE thing is still very "backyard" as far as the sport is concerned....
...I reckon anyway...

So - fully appreciate the new name for me to check out. Gonna go up to the Fish Fry up in Currumbin in march with some cameras... hopefully get some good stuff (!)

[hamish]

Guys, are you talking about GARTH dickenson? His stuff in glass love on the Mackie whale tail fish is incredible and inspired me to get my hands on one. man they are hard to ride